Cepham compounds

ABSTRACT

3-Hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(protectedamino)cepham-4-carboxylic acids and salts, and esters which are useful as intermediates in the production of desacetoxycephalosporin antibiotic compounds.

United States Patent Gutowski 1 June 6,1972

[ 54] CEPHAM COMPOUNDS [72] Inventor: Gerald E. Gutowski, Indianapolis, Ind.

[73] Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Ind.

[22] Filed: Feb. 24, 1970 211 App]. No.: 13,814

[52] U.S. Cl. ..260/243 C, 424/246, 260/239.1 [5 l Int. Cl. ..C07d 99/24, C07d 99/ 16 [58] Field of Search ..260/243 C Primary Examiner-Nicholas S. Rizzo Attorney-Everet F. Smith and John T. Reynolds [57] ABSTRACT 3-Hydroxy-3-methyl-7-( protectedamino)cepham-4-carboxylic acids and salts, and esters which are useful as intermediates in the production of desacetoxycephalosporin antibiotic compounds.

6 Claims, No Drawings CEPHAM COMPOUNDS iN'rRoDucnoN This invention relates to new cephalosporin compounds which are useful as intermediates in the production of known and new cephalosporin type antibiotics. More particularly, this invention provides new 3-hydroxy-3-methyl cepham acids and esters which can be prepared from penicillin sulfoxides.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ments on that Morin-Jackson process by Chauvette and Flynn who found that certain esters of the penicillin starting materials and of the resulting desacetoxycephalosporin ester products were more useful in the process in that they were more easily cleaved than those employed by Morin and Jackson. Further improvements of the Morin-Jackson process were claimed by Robin D. G. Cooper in application Ser. no. 838,697, filed July 2, 1969, who found that the use of certain tertiary carboxamide, urea, or sulfonamide solvents directed the heat rearrangement of the penicillin sulfoxide esters more specifically toward production Of the corresponding desacetoxycephalosporin esters. Some of the 7- acylamidodesacetoxycephalosporanic acid compounds have been'found to have unique properties as antibiotics in their own right. For example, cephalexin, 7-[D-alpha-aminophenylacetamido]-3-methyl-A -cephem-4-carboxylic acid zwitterion, and pharmaceutically acceptable cationic and anionic salt forms thereof, are useful as oral antibiotics in combatting infections caused, e.g., by penicillin resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, and many other Gram positive and Gram negative microorganisms.

One of the unique advantages of A -desacetoxycephalosporin compounds, that is, compounds of the general formula ODOR wherein R is the residue of the acylamido group in the 7-position, and R is hydrogen, a salt forming cation, and ester group, or an anionic charge when the COO forms a salt with a cation either within or outside of the molecule, is that such compounds can now be prepared from penicillin sulfoxide esters by the Morin-Jackson process, especially as improved by the Chauvette-Flynn and R.D.G. Cooper improvements. Several chemical steps are necessary for converting a penicillin to a cephalosporin antibiotic.

Lowell D. Hatfield in application Ser. NO. 799,504, filed Feb. 14, 1969, now US. Pat. No. 3,591,585, has disclosed his invention for an improved process for the direct preparation of a desacetoxycephalosporin ester by the patented Morin- Jackson process, as improved by the Cooper solvent systems. Hatfield discovered that by using a combination of a sulfonic acid and a water removal means during the step of heating the penicillin sulfoxide ester starting material, higher yields of the desired desacetoxycephalosporin esters were obtained. However, whenother acids are used, mixtures of products have been obtainedEfforts to understand the nature of the different products derived from the effect of different reaction conditions has led to my discovery herein described.

SUMMARY OF THE lNVENTlON Briefly, l have discovered that when penicillin sulfoxides are heated with various acids, new 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-cepham compounds are produced in addition to the A'-desacetoxycephem compounds, referred to above. These new 3-hydroxy-3-methyl cepham compounds can be produced in high yields by the heat treatment of the penicillin sulfoxides in the presence of sulfuric or sulfamic acid or a salt or an ester of such acids. These new compounds are useful as intermediates for the production of known and new A cephem cephalosporin type antibiotics, e.g., cephalexin, a known antibiotic.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention provides new compounds of the formula wherein R is hydrogen, H or an amino protecting group preferably an acyl group derived from the penicillin sulfoxide starting material from which they can be made, and R is hydrogen, are ester group, a salt forming cation, or an anionic charge when R is H For convenience, these compounds can be generally referred to as 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-aminocepham acids, esters, zwitterions, and salts. The term cepham" has been defined in the J. Am. Chem. Soc., 84, p. 3,400( 1962), as meaning the ring structure as an adaptation from the corresponding term penam,"

defined in J. Am. Chem. Soc., 75, p. 3,293, footnote 2 (1953) used to name various penicillins, and meaning the ring structure O: N H2 An example of a compound of this invention named by this nomenclature system, is 2,2,2-trichloroethyl 3-hydroxy-3- methyl-7-phenylacetamidocepham-4-carboxylate. These new 3-hydroxy-3-methylcepham compounds are obtained in better yields when the heating operation is conducted using a solvent system containing at least about 10 percent by volume of a tertiary carboxamide at a temperature of from about C. to about C.

Any prior art penicillin, or 6-( N-protected-amino)-2,2- dimethylpenam-3-carboxylic acid compound which is not otherwise converted under the conditions of acidity and elevated temperature employed herein, can be used as a starting material to prepare compounds within the scope of this invention. The penicillin or penam must be oxidized to the sulfoxide state prior to treatment. it can also be esterified to protect the carboxyl group in subsequent reactions, but need not be esterified for preparing the compounds of this invention. Alternatively, the penicillin or penam can be esterified and then oxidized to the penicillin sulfoxide ester. A wide range of penicillins and penam compounds can be treated to obtain the 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-cepham compounds of this invention.

The amino protecting group represented by R in the above formula can be any group known to protect the nitrogen to which it is bonded from attack by the acid during the heating operation. If R is hydrogen, i.e., when the nitrogen in the 7- position is in the free amino state, the yields of the desired product are substantially lower. The R group can be any amino protecting group used to protect amino groups in peptide synthesis chemistry, e.g., triphenylmethyl, carboxycarbonyl, benzyloxycarbonyl, allyloxycarbonyl, cyclopentyloxycarbonyl, or as is most practical and preferred, an acyl group. Many acyl groups suitable for this purpose are already known in the penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotic literature. The preferred amino protecting group is an acyl group of the forwherein m is an integer of from to 4 inclusive, n is an integer of from 1 to 4 inclusive, 2 is 0 or 1, and when 2 is 0, the methylene groups in m and m are connected by a chemical bond, and such acyl groups substituted on phenyl carbon atoms with fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, hydroxy, C to C -alkyl, C to C -alkyloxy, nitro, cyano, or trifluoromethyl groups. The acyl groups can also have methyl groups in place of 1 or 2 of the hydrogens on the carbon atoms in the m or n groups. A few representative examples of such preferred acyl groups include:

phenylacetyl phenoxyacetyl phenylheptanoyl phenoxyisopropionyl benzyloxyacetyl phenylpropionyl phenylbutyryl 3-methylphenylbutyryl 4-propylbcnzylacetyl benzyloxyacetyl phenylethoxypropionyl phenylbutoxybutyryl 3-fluorophenoxyacetyl 3-hydroxyphenylacetyl 4-bromophenylpropionyl 4-iodophenylacetyl 2-chlorobenzyloxypropionyl phenyl-2-2-dimethylacetyl 4-nitrophenylacetyl 3-cyanophenylpropionyl 4-trifluoromethylphenoxyacetyl, and the like.

Numerous other compounds which form amino protecting groups which can be used in the R position are known in the prior art, e.g., those disclosed in the Behrens et a]. U. S. Pat. Nos. 2,479,295 to 2,479,297 and 2,562,407 to 2,562,411, and 2,623,876.

The R symbol in the general formula describing the compounds of this invention can be hydrogen, a water solubilizing salt such as an alkali metal, or quaternary amine, or the residue of an ester. The ester group should be one which is removable by known methods such as by dilute aqueous base or by the use of trifluoroacetic acid, acetic acid and zinc dust, hydrogenation in the presence of an appropriate catalyst such as palladium, platinum, or rhodium on a suitable carrier such as carbon, barium sulfate, or alumina so that the cephalosporin compound is not degraded. The preferred ester groups are C, to C -tert-alkyl, C to C,-tert-alkenyl, C to C,- tert-alkynyl, such as tert-butyl, tert-pentyl, 1,1-dimethyl-2- propenyl, 1,1-dimethyl-2-pentynyl, 2,2,2-trichloroethyl benzyl, 3- or 4- methoxybenzyl, 3- or 4-nitrobenzyl, and CH R groups where R" is C to C -alkanoyl, benzoyl, toluoyl, thenoyl, or furoyl, as set forth in U. S. Pat. No. 3,284,451, or benzhydryl and the like.

Compounds of this invention where R is hydrogen, can be obtained after the penicillin sulfoxide rearrangement reaction has been completed and are formed by subjecting the 3- hydroxy-3-methyl-7-acylamido-cepham-4-carboxylic acid or ester to the action of phosphorus pentachloride in the presence of an equivalent amount of a tertiary amine such as pyridine, followed by a lower alkanol, e.g., methanol, and then by water to cleave the 7-acyl group. Examples of such a product are 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-amino cepham-4-carboxylic acid and ten-butyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-amino-cepham-4- carboxylate. Such compounds can be recovered from their reaction mixtures by conventional methods, e.g., as a salt with a Q, to C -hydrocarbonsulfonic acid which salt precipitates from most organic solvents. These 7-amino compounds also form inner or zwitterionic salts with the 4-carboxyl group (in which event R is an anionic charge). In such cases R can represent the HF moiety where the second hydrogen is supplied by the carboxyl. Such compounds also form salts with strong acids having a pKa of less than 4 such as hydrochloric, sulfuric, orthophosphoric, nitric, iodic, perchlon'c acids and the like.

The concentration of the sulfuric acid, sulfamic acid, or equivalent salt, or ester will vary depending upon the nature of the acid substance the concentration of the penicillin or penam sulfoxide ester, the solvent system used, the desired time of reaction, and the like. In general, the molar ratio of penicillin sulfoxide, to acid ranges from about 1:1 to about 50:1. Preferably a molar ratio of penicillin sulfoxide ester to acid ranges from about 5:1 to about 15:1. The concentration of the penicillin sulfoxide ester in the total solvent system can vary extensively but preferably constitutes from about 1 to about 20 percent by weight of the reaction mixture.

The penicillin or penam sulfoxide acid, salt, or ester in the acidified solvent system is heated to from about C. to about 150 C. to direct the rearrangement of the penicillin sulfoxide ester to the 3-hydroxy-3-methylcepham compound. In the preferred tertiary carboxamide containing solvents, or solvent mixtures, the preferred heating temperature is from about C. to about C., for from about 2 to about 24 hours. Lower temperatures require more time, while at higher temperatures the reaction mixture tends to produce a more complex reaction product mixture.

In preparing the compounds of this invention, the tertiary carboxamide can be used as the only solvent system, but for optimum yields, it will often be desirable to dilute the tertiary carboxamide with an inert organic liquid. In preparing these compounds it is not necessary to choose the inert organic liquid on the basis of whether or not it forms an easily removed azeotrope with water, as was desirable in the Hatfield process, mentioned above. However, those same organic liquids can be used as diluents for the tertiary carboxamide solvent in the process of preparing these new compounds. Thus, the inert organic liquids can be exemplified by hydrocarbons, especially C to C -alkanes and C to C -aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, particularly those containing from one to six carbon atoms and from one to four chlorine or bromine atoms, as well as others, esters, nitriles, and the like, as set forth in various chemistry handbooks, e.g., Handbook of Chemistry, edited by N. A. Lange, Ninth Edition (1956), Published by Handbook publishers, Inc., Sandusky, Ohio, pp 1,484 to 1,486, and 1,493, and in the Chemical Rubber Co., Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 45th Edition, pp D-l to D-18 (1964-65). Examples of suitable diluents include pentane, hexane, heptane, benzene, toluene, xylene, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-dichloroethane, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, npropyl acetate, propylene glycol diacetate, acetonitrile, propionitrile, dioxane, diglyme, and the like. The tertiary carboxamide should constitute at least about 10 percent by volume of the reaction mixture. The diluting organic liquid or liquids forms the remainder of the solvent system.

The general types of tertiary carboxamides which can be used have the structural formula wherein 1. R is hydrogen, and each of R and R is alkyl, phenyl, tolyl, or xylyl such as R and R together contain up to about 14 carbon atoms;

2. at least one of R R and R is alkyl, and not more than two of R R and R are phenyl, tolyl, xylyl, and R R and R together contain up to about 18 carbon atoms;

3. R is hydrogen or alkyl, R, and R are taken together with the nitrogen to which they are bonded to form a saturated monocyclic ring which contains from four to six carbon'atoms in the ring, which ring can also contain an oxygen ring member, gamma to the ring nitrogen, and R R and R together contain not more than' 12 carbon atoms; and/or 4. R and R are taken together with the amide grouping o Ji -it to which they are bonded to form a saturated carbonyl con taining monocyclic ring having from four to six ring carbon atoms, R is alkyl, phenyl, tolyl, or xylyl, and R R and R together contain not more than 14 carbon atoms.

Examples of tertiary carboxamides of the types described above, which may be used in the process include:

1. N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-diethylformamide, N,N-diisopropylformamide, N,N-dibutylformamide, N,N- dipentylformamide, N-methyl-N-ethylformamide, N-methyl- N-phenylformamide, N-ethyl-N-(m-tolyl)formamide, N- propyl-N-(3,5-dimethylphenyl), N,N-diphenylformamide, N,N-bis( 4-methylphenyl )formamide N'( 3 ,S-dimethyl N )methylformamide, N,N-bis( 2,4-dimethylphenyl )-formamide, and the like;

2. N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), N,N-diethylacetamide, N,N-diisopropylacetamide, N,N-dibutylacetamide, N,N-ditert-butyl-acetamide, N,N-dimethylpropionamide, N,N- diethylpropionamide, N,N-dipentylpropionamide, N,N- dimethylbutanoamide, N,N-diethylbutanoarnide, N,N-

dimethyldecanoamide, N,N-dimethylbenzamine, N,N-diethylbenz amide, N,N-dipropyl-m-toluamide, N,N-dibutyl-p-toluamide, N-phenyl-N-methylacetamide, N-(p-tolyl)-N- ethylacetamide, N-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)-N-methylpropionamide, N,N-dimethyl-3,S-dimethylbenzamide, N,N-dibutyl-4- ethylbenzamide, N,Ndiphenylacetamide, N-(B-methylphenyl)-N-ethylbenzamide, N,N-bis(6-methylphenyl) propionamide, N,N-bis(3,S-dimethylphenyl)propionarnide, and the like; 7 i

3. B-formylpiperidine, N-acetylpyrrolidine, 'N-propionylmorpholine, N-acetyl-4,S-dimethylpyrrolidine, N-butanoyl piperidine, N-acetyl-6-methylpiperidine, and the like; and

4. l-methyl-Z-pyrrolidone, l-phenyl-2-pyrrolidone, l-butyl- 2-piperidone, l-pentyl-2-piperidone, l-(m-tolyl)-2- piperidone, l-ethyl-2-piperidone, l-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)-2- piperidone, l-methyl-Z-piperidone, l-phenyl-2-piperidone, lpropyl-.2-piperidone, l-isopropyl-2-homopiperidone, N-ethyl- 2-homopiperidone. However, we especially prefer to use dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, or N-methyl-Z-pyrrolidone in this heating step.

The acids used in preparing compounds of this invention in clude sulfuric acid or sulfamic acid. Salts, and esters of these acids may also be used in equivalent amounts. Examples of salts of these acids include the alkali metal salts, e.g., the lithium, sodium, potassium, and rubidium salts, although only the sodium and potassium salts of practical economic sig' nificance. The magnesium, calcium, salts of these acids may also be used but are not preferred. Partial and complete esters of these acids with C to C -alkanols such as dimethylsulfate, diethylsulfate, dimethylsulfamate, dipropylsulfamate, and the like can also be used. However, it is easier and more convenient to use the free acids in the reaction mixture.

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylcepham ester products can be recovered from the reaction mixture by conventional methods. Usually the reaction mixture is concentrated under vacuum to remove most of the reaction mixture solvents therefrom. The residue is dissolved in a suitable organic solvent such as a chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent such as methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, a C, to C -alkanol such as methanol, isopropanol, etc., or a hydrocarbon such as benzene, toluene, xylene, heptane, or the like, and extract with dilute aqueous acid to remove residual tertiary carboxamide solvents. The organic solvent solution containing the product can be concentrated to obtain relatively pure product, sufficiently pure for further contemplated reactions, or further purified by conventional methods, e.g., re-crystallization.

Examples of compounds of this invention and the sulfoxides from which they can be obtained include the following:

tert-butyl 3-hydroxy'3-methyl-7-( phenylacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylate from the tert butyl ester of phenylmethylpenicillin sulfoxide.

l",l-Dimethyl-2"-propynyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl 7-(3'- nitrophenylacetamido)cepham 4-carboxylate from the l",1- dimethyl-2"-propynyl ester of 4-nitrophenylmethyl penicillin sulfoxide,

2",2",2-trichloroethyl 3-hydroxy3-methyl-7-(octanoylamido)cephem-4carboxylate from the 2",2",2- trichloroethyl ester of heptylpenicillin sulfoxide,

4-Nitrobenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(2',2-dimethylphenylacetamido-cepham-4-carboxylate from the 4"- nitrobenzyl ester of 2',2'-dimethylphenylmethylpenicillin sulfoxide,

tert-butyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-( 5 -butoxyca.rbonylaminoadipoylamido)cepham-4-carboxylate from the tertbutyl ester of the N-butoxycarboxyl protected penicillin N sulfoxide,

3-Hydroxy-3-methyl-7-( phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylic acid from phenoxymethylpenicillin sulfoxide,

3-Hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(2'-thienylacetamido)cepham-4- carboxylic acid from thienylmethylpenicillin sulfoxide,

Salts of such compounds are made by treating the acids with an appropriate base or basic salt such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium acetate, potassium carbonate and the like.

The compounds of this invention show some antibiotic activity against various Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. However, they are of primary interest for use in preparing compounds having the A -cephem cephalosporin nucleus. For example, stirring one of the 3-hydroxy-3-methyl cepham compounds of this invention in a mixture of acetic anhydride and N,N-dimethylacetamide in an oil bath for approximately 15 minutes at about lO0-l 10 C gives good yields of the corresponding 3-methyl-A -cephem compound. For example, tert-butyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylate will undergo an elimination reaction to form the corresponding ester, tert-butyl 3- methyl-7-(phenoxyacetamido)-A cephem-4-carboxylate, which is useful in the overall process of making the known cephalosporin antibiotic cephalexin [7-D-a-aminophenylacetamido)-3-methyl-A -cephem-4-carboxylic acid] from phenoxymethyl penicillin. In such process the phenoxylacetyl group is cleaved by treatment of the 3-methyl-A -cephem ester with phosphorus pentachloride and pyridine, followed by treatment of the chlorinated product with methanol, and then with water to form the 7 -amino-3-methyl-A"-cephem nucleus ester, which can be recovered conveniently, for example, as the p-toluenesulfonate salt, followed by reacylation of the nucleus ester with an activated or reactive form of an N-protected a-aminophenylacetic acid, followed by removal of the N-protecting group and the ester group to obtain cephalexin.

The invention is further exemplified by the following detailed examples which illustrate how compounds of this invention can be made.

EXAMPLE 1 4"-Nitrobenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(2'-phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylate (II).

O R'NH H CH3 RNH R'NH I W 1 OJ N :CO;R O \CH; CH;

I OH 1 00 B 00 R (II) (III) A solution of 500 mg. of penicillin-V-sulfoxide pnitrobenzyl ester, 10 mg. p-toluene sulfonic acid-monohydrate and 142 mg. dimethylacetylenedicarboxylate in 10 ml. N,N- dimethylacetamide were stirred in an oil bath at l 10l 13 for hours. The majority of solvents were removed in vacuo and the oily residue passed over 8 g. Florisil, eluting with chloroform. The concentrated eluate was taken up in hot ethanol from which 90 mg. 17.2 percent) of 4-nitrobenzyl 3-methyl 7-(2-phenoxyacetamido)-3-cephem-4-carboxylate (11) were deposited upon cooling, m.p. 19019l. Mother liquors were evaporated and the residue triturated with hot methyl isobutyl ketone to afford a white solid, recrystallization of which from hot acetonitrile yields 64 mg. (12.8 percent) of the title compound (11), mp. 214215.

During repetitions of this preparation yields of 11 varied between and 22 percent.

The structure of compound 11, 4"-nitrobenzyl 3-hydroxy-3- methyl-7-(2'-phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylate was further characterized by preparation by known methods of a. 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(2"-phenoxyacetamido) cephem- 4-carboxylic acid,

b. methyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(2"-phenoxyacetamido) cephem-4-carboxylate,

c. 4-nitrobenzy1 3-(trimethylsilyloxy)-3-methyl-7-(2'- phenoxyacetamido)cephem-4-carboxylate d. 4"-nitrobenzyl 3-acetoxy-3-methyl-7-(2'-phenoxyacetamido)cephem-4-carboxylate,

4' '-nitrobenzyl 3-(trifluoroacetoxy)-3-methy1-7-( 2'- phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylate,

f. 4"-nitrobenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(2'-phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylate- 1 -oxide,

g. 4 -nitrobenzyl-3-acetoxy-3-methyl-7-( 2 '-phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylate- 1 -oxide, h. 4 '-nitrobenzy1-3-acetoxy-3-methyl-7-( N-acetyl-2 phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylate- 1 -oxide,

i. 4' '-nitrobenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-( 2'-phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxy1atel l-dioxide,

j. 4"-nitr0benzyl 3-acetoxy-3-methyl-7-(2'-phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylatel l-dioxide.

Spectral data and elemental analyses were in agreement with the structures proposed for the above named compounds, and thus provides further evidence of the correctness of the named compound 1], namely 4"-nitrobenzyl 3-hydroxy-3- methyl-7-( 2 '-phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylate.

Florisil is a trademark of Floridin Company for their brand of an activated form of magnesium silicate used for chromatography, antibiotic processing, etc. See, U.S. Pat. No. 2,393,625, or Merck Index, 8th Edition (1968) pp. 637-638 under magnesium silicate.

EXAMPLE 2 This example illustrates the utility of the new compounds of this invention as intermediates in the preparation of the corresponding 3-methyl 3-cephem compounds.

A suitable vessel containing a mixture of 100 mg. of 4"- nitrobenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methy1-7-(2-phenoxyacetamido) cepham-4-carboxylate in 1 ml. of acetic anhydride and 0.2 ml. of N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) was immersed in an oil bath, and the mixture was stirred for approximately minutes at 105 C. From the reaction mixture there is obtained 4"-nitrobenzyl 3-methyl-7-(2-phenoxyacetamido)-3- cephem-4-carb0xy1ate, which upon ester group removal by known hydrogenation methods, can be converted to 3-methyl- 7-(2'-phenoxyacetamido)-3-cephem-4-carboxylate, a known antibiotic.

EXAIvfPLE 3 This example illustrates the direct preparation of the 3- hydroxy-3-methyl cepham compound in the acid form.

A solution containing 10.0 g. of penicillin V sulfoxide [2,2- dimethyl-6-phenoxyacetamido-penam-3-carboxylic acid-1 oxide],0.15 ml. of concentrated sulfuric acid, 100 ml. of benzene, and 75 ml. of N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) was refluxed 14 hours. The dark red color reaction mixture was then concentrated under vacuum and the residue was dissolved in 200 ml. of methylenechloride. After washing the dilute hydrochloric acid solution to remove residual N,N- dimethylacetamide, the methylene chloride solution was extracted with 5 percent disodium hydrogen orthophosphate in water solution. Acidification of the aqueous phase, extraction with chloroform, and concentration of the chloroform solution left 4.7 g. (47 percent yield) of the acid, 3-hydroxy-3- methyl-7-(phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylic acid. An analytical sample was obtained by recrystallization from chloroform, m.p. 152l53 C. the acid product was also characterized by infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, elemental analysis, and nonaqueous titration.

EXAMPLE 4 A 10.0 g. portion of 4-nitrobenzyl penicillin V sulfoxide ester was added to ml. of benzene and 60 ml. of DMA containing 2 drops of concentrated sulfuric acid. The solution was refluxed for 12 hours and then concentrated to a residue weight of 23.2 g. Addition of ml. of isopropyl alcohol resulted in direct crystallization of substantially pure 4- nitrobenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-phenoxyacetamido) cepham-4-carboxylate. A purified sample of this product had a melting point of 21 22 14 C. It was further characterized by IR, UV, NMR spectral analyses, as well as by elemental analysis and thin layer chromatographic (TLC) methods. All data were consistent with assigned structure for the named compound.

EXAMPLE 5 The procedure of example 4 was repeated for employing an equivalent amount of dimethyl sulfate in place of sulfuric acid. The product, 4"-nitrobenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(phenoxyacetarnido)cepham-4-carboxylate had a melting point of of 2082 1 0 C.

EXAMPLE 6 A mixture of 10.0 g. of penicillin V sulfoxide, 4-nitrobenzyl ester, 0.194 g. of sulfamic acid in 112 ml. of benzene and 88 ml. of dimethylacetamide was stirred and refluxed 14 hours and then allowed to stand at room temperature for 3 hours. The solvents were removed under vacuum. The residue was triturated with xylene and re-concentrated under vacuum. The product was triturated with chloroform and the crystal line product was filtered. It weighed 3.91 g. (40.5 percent yield) m.p. 21l2l2 C. with decomposition, and was identical to compound II from Example 1.

EXAMPLE 7 A mixture of 2.5 g. of 4-nitrobenzyl penicillin V sulfoxide ester, 0.07 g. of potassium bisulfate, in 28 ml. of benzene and 22 ml. of dimethylacetamide was refluxed until no starting material was present (about 18 hours). The mixture was concentrated in vacuo and re-concentrated after azeotroping with xylene. The product 4-nitrobenzy1 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7- (phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylate, was crystallized after triturating with chloroform. The product weighed 1.02 g. (41 percent yield) m.p. 2112l3 C. A mixed melting point with a known sample of the same product was 21 1-213 C.

EXAMPLE 8 The procedure of Example 4 is repeated using 2,2,2- trichloroethyl penicillin G sulfoxide ester in a mixture of benzene and dimethylacetamide containing concentrated sulfuric acid as the acidifying agent. After refluxing, and work-up of the reaction mixture there is obtained a product, 2", 2", 2"-trichloroethy1 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(phenylacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylate.

These ester is useful as an intermediate in the manufacture of desacetoxycephalosporin antibiotic substances, e.g., cephalexin.

EXAMPLE 9 The procedure of Example 4 is repeated except that' tertbutyl 2,2-dimethyl-6-(2',2'-dimethylphenylacetamido)penam-3-carboxylate-l-oxide is used as starting material in place of the 4-nitrobenzyl penicillin V sulfoxide ester. There is obtained as product the tert-butyl 3-hydroxy-3- methyl-7-( 2' 2-dimethylp henylacetamido )cepham-4-carboxylate.

This ester is useful as an intermediate in the production of desacetoxycephalosporin antibiotic substances.

, EXAMPLE l The procedure of example 4 is repeated except that 1",ldimethyl-2"-propynyl 2,2-dimethyl-6-(2'-thienylacetamido) penam-4-carboxylate-l-oxide is used in place of the penicillin V sulfoxide ester. There is obtained as product the l",1"- dimethyl-Z -propynyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-( 2 thienylacetamido) cepham 4-carboxylate.

This ester is useful as an intermediate in the production of desacetoxycephalosporin antibiotic substances such as 3- methyl-7-(2-thienylacetamido)-A"-cephem-4-carboxylic acid, a known antibiotic.

EXAMPLE 11 In a solution of dry benzene containing 28 millimoles of dry pyridine there are dissolved 7.8 millimoles of 4"-methoxybenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(phenoxyacetamido)cepham- 4-carboxylate, which had been prepared by heating the 4"- methoxy-benzyl penicillin V sulfoxide ester in dimethylacetamide to 90-l C. for about 6 hours with sulfuric acid catalysis. The resulting solution is warmed to 50. to 60 C. and then while stirring 28 millimoles of phosphorus pentachloride are added at one time. The mixture is stirred at this temperature under a nitrogen atmosphere for about 1 hour. The resulting mixture is then cooled to 0 to 5 C. and treated with an excess of methanol. This methanol-treated mixture is stored for several hours at room temperature. After removing most of the benzene and methanol solvents by evaporation below 50 C. under reduced pressure, the residue (having a pH of about 1.8) is taken up in a 1:1 by volume mixture of water and tetrahydrofuran. After 2 hours, the tetrahydrofuran is removed and the aqueous residue is stirred with ethyl acetate and adjusted to pH 6.5-7 with 1N aqueous sodium hydroxide. The ethyl acetate layer containing the crude 4"-methoxybenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-aminocepham-4-carboxylate ester product is treated with about 8 millimoles 4"-toluenesulfonic acid to precipitate the p-methoxybenzyl 3-hydroxy-3- methyl-7-aminocepham-4-carboxylate p-toluene sulfonate salt,which is separated from the reaction mixture by filtration. The separated salt can be stored in salt form or taken up in ethylacetate/water mixture and adjusted to near pH7, to separate the pure 4-methoxybenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7- amino-cephem-4-carboxylate.

This ester product can be used as an intermediate, e.g., to prepare cephalexin by acylating the amino-ester with N-(tertbutoxycarbonyl)-D-a-phenylglycine in the mixed anhydride (DMA) containing acetic anhydride to about 105 C., and then treating the resulting product with anhydrous trifluoroacetic acid for about minutes to obtain 3-methyl-7- (d-a-aminophenylacetamido)-A -cephem-4-carboxylic acid (cephalexin). This antibiotic compound can be administered tropically, parenterally, or as is preferred, orally in doses of from about 50 mg. to about 300 mg., from one to four times per day depending upon the disease condition being treated.

EXAMPLE 12 Following the procedure of Example 3, phenoxymethyl penicillin sulfoxide acid is mixed in N,N-dimethylacetamide and benzene solvent with an e uivalent amount of sulfamic acid and heated for 14 hours. er concentration of the reaction mixture and purification according to the procedures described therein, there is obtained as product, 3-hydroxy-3- methyl-7-( phenoxyacetamido )cepham-4-carboxylic acid.

I claim:

1. A compound of the formula wherein R is hydrogen, HP, or an amino protecting group, and R is hydrogen, a water solubilizing salt forming cation, an anionic charge when R is HP, or an ester group which is removable by dilute aqueous base, by trifluoroacetic acid, by acetic acid and zinc dust or by hydrogenation of the ester in the presence of palladium, platinum or rhodium on a carbon, barium sulfate or alumina support.

2. A compound as defined in claim 1 wherein R is an acyl group of the formula wherein m is an integer of from O to 4 inclusive, n is an integer of from 0 to 4 inclusive, 1 is 0 or I, and when 1 is 0, the methylene groups in m and n are connected by a chemical bond, and such acyl groups substituted on phenyl carbon atoms thereof with fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, hydroxy, nitro, cyano, C to C -alkyl, C to C -alkyl0xy, or trifluoromethyl, and R is an ester group selected from the group consisting of 2,2,2-trichloroethyl C to C -tert-alkyl C to C -tert-alkenyl C to C -tert-alkynyl benzy], nitrobenzyl, methoxybenzyl phthalirnidomethyl succinimidomethyl benzhydryl, and

--CH R where R" is C to C -alkanoyl, benzoyl toluoyl,

thenoyl, or furoyl.

3. A compound as defined in claim 2 wherein m is 0, n is 1, z is l, and R is 4"-nitrobenzyl.

4. A compound as defined in claim 3 wherein the compound is 4"-nitrobenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(2-phenoxyacetamido-cepham-4-carboxylate.

5. A compound as described in claim 2 wherein m is 0, n is 1, z is 1, and R is hydrogen, said compound being 3-hydroxy- 3-methyl-7-(phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylic acid.

6. A compound as described in claim 2 wherein R is hydrogen, R is 4"-methoxybenzyl. 

2. A compound as defined in claim 1 wherein R is an acyl group of the formula wherein m is an integer of from 0 to 4 inclusive, n is an integer of from 0 to 4 inclusive, z is 0 or 1, and when z is 0, the methylene groups in m and n are connected by a chemical bond, and such acyl groups substituted on phenyl carbon atoms thereof with fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, hydroxy, nitro, cyano, C1 to C3-alkyl, C1 to C2-alkyloxy, or trifluoromethyl, and R'' is an ester group selected from the group consisting of 2,2,2-trichloroethyl C4 to C6-tert-alkyl C5 to C7-tert-alkenyl C5 to C7-tert-alkynyl benzyl, nitrobenzyl, methoxybenzyl phthalimidomethyl succinimidomethyl benzhydryl, and -CH2R'''' where R'''' is C1 to C6-alkanoyl, benzoyl toluoyl, thenoyl, or furoyl.
 3. A compound as defined in claim 2 wherein m is 0, n is 1, z is 1, and R'' is 4''''-nitrobenzyl.
 4. A compound as defined in claim 3 wherein the compound is 4''''-nitrobenzyl 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(2''-phenoxyacetamido-cepham-4-carboxylate.
 5. A compound as described in claim 2 wherein m is 0, n is 1, z is 1, and R'' is hydrogen, said compound being 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-7-(phenoxyacetamido)cepham-4-carboxylic acid.
 6. A compound as described in claim 2 wherein R is hydrogen, R'' is 4''''-methoxybenzyl. 